DE 10 2008 039 868 A1 discloses an example of an electrical connection terminal, in which a spring element formed as a leg spring can be pivoted, by means of an actuating element, into an open position and a closed position in order to clamp a conductor inserted into the housing. To open the spring element and to thus facilitate the pivoting of the spring element out of the closed position into the open position, the actuating element comprises an actuating wall and two unlocking portions formed laterally next to the actuating wall. When the spring element is pivoted out of the closed position into the open position, the actuating wall can enter a slot formed in the spring element. To pivot the spring element completely from the closed position into the open position, the actuating element has to be moved upwards and thus itself pivoted or rotated. In this case, the actuating wall of the actuating element slides through the slot in the spring element until the end of the actuating wall hits, from the inside, a leg of the spring element, so that when the actuating element is pivoted further, the spring element is also pivoted into the open position.
A drawback here is that, owing to the pivot movement or rotational movement of the actuating element when the spring element is transferred from the closed position into the open position, the user is at great risk of injury since, in particular with high spring forces, a large force acts on the actuating element and thus the actuating element is rotated at high speed in an uncontrolled manner. If the actuating element is actuated by a tool, the risk of injury to the user is additionally increased in the process, since the tool pivots therewith in a fast and uncontrolled manner.